Dodge Resurection (Update No.2)

[dulcich]

It has been since 2003 since my '69 Dart has seen the road. The 340 was knocking so I pulled it, turned out to be just two bent pushrods. Wanted to repaint the engine bay, and the trans always shifted stiff so I wanted to go through that. Car sat outside for four years and the mostly stock paint which was thin, started to scale, and the vinyl top turned to junk. Heater core leaked too, so last year I stripped everything out of the engine bay for the re-paint, and inside the car pulled the dash, column, and A/C heater box, which required pulling the windshield. Rebuilt the 833OD with the needed gears that showed chewed dog teeth and syncros. The car has been waiting like this untouched, trashed on the outside, no engine or trans, and stripped to the firewall inside.

Decided to resurect the old Dart, and started working on it again yesterday. Stripped the engine bay to bare metal, removed vinyl top and trim, removed most of the rest of the exterior trim and D/A sanded the car for paint. Will be ready for primer in a couple of days. May need to remove the rear glass tomorrow to really clean the channel of scale and replace some rusty clips.

I have two engines that I am considering. I want the car to be a real driver; it was my daily from 1997-2003 in which time I put 120,000 miles on it. Have a fresh 318 with ported iron heads that makes 415 hp, and the other engine is a 408 stroker Magnum with ported Edelbrocks and a hydraulic roller that makes 554 hp. The 318 would probably be better on gas. Or I can fix the 340 and put that back in. It had a nasty solid flat tappet and ported iron heads, and made 477 hp at the crank. Will post some progress pics as I get a chance to upload them.
-dulcich

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Dodge Resurection

A 340/ 4 spd Dart. I'm so jealous. After riding around in high school in my buddy's 340 powered Duster; I am a big fan of that motor. The 833OD will give you decent mileage if you have reasonable gears in the diff. Did you know that my Impala has a NP440 which a GM version of your tranny?

I like the hood too.

Please keep us informed and more pics too.

[dulcich]

Re: Dodge Resurection

RD, this car was originally a 273 auto; I do have a factory '70 340 four-speed Dart Swinger 340, but it is going to be a full restoration project. On this car I first built up the 273 with bolt ons and beat on it until it spun a bearing (ran mid 15's with 2.73 gears). Built a re-ringed cop 318 after that, made about 370 hp at the crank. That one went the long haul, and was a great motor; I would wind the guts out of it to 6500 at every opportunity, you would not believe how cruel I was to that motor. Ran it until the bearings were down to the copper, pulled it and have it on a stand for a freshen-up. Did the manual trans swap about halfway through the 318's life. Only had the 340 in there for about 18K miles or so. Got 100K out of the 318 with a rings/bearings and gaskets overhaul that was done in one weekend without ever setting foot in a machine shop.
-dulcich

BTW the rear has 2.76 gears with a locker. The 833OD has a low 3.09 first gear so this pulls out of the hole OK. Final drive ratio is 1.98:1. I used to drive the Dart really fast.

[Scott Liggett]

Re: Dodge Resurection

I am bigger fan of non original cars because they are far more affordable. What engine it came with originally has no factor whether or not I think it's cool. It's just cool.

I don't suppose it will be running by the Carjunkie Open House?

[dulcich]

Re: Dodge Resurection

Yeah, I know what you mean. I bought this for $750 back in '97, it was a mint survivor with nearly perfect original interior and exterior in factory paint, but with a light sideswipe on the driver's side clipping the door and front of the quarter. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw how clean it was for the price back then. Turned out to be the best car I have ever owned, and I had an R/T Charger, then a 340 4-speed Cuda, a '69 Superbee and a Sixpack Challenger, as the preceeding list of drivers before this Dart.
-dulcich

[Freiburger]

Re: Dodge Resurection

Put the 318 in it and ditch the hood and the spinners. (I'm Dulcich's car fashion police.)

[dulcich]

Re: Dodge Resurection

Oh Man, I like that stuff.
-dulcich

[quickd100]

Re: Dodge Resurection

Use the 408 Steve, mileage be damned, you're only on this earth a certain amount of time. Have some fun with it. Dave
P.S. I like the scoop and wheels

[RacerRick]

Re: Dodge Resurection

I like the scoop and wheels too....what rims are those? I need to get started on my Dart again soon.

Funny thing is, that the life of mine is almost identical to yours. Started with a 273 which I built up to run 15.8 in the quarter before it got so worn it was burning as much oil as gas, then a 318 that was mildly built up with the good parts from the 273 that I nitroused into the 12's. It died a spectactular death. Then a couple 340's. One died from nitrous and the other is being rebuilt and going into my friends challenger. That one was running a nasty solid cam and ported X heads that made 476hp on the dyno.

And now the car has been sitting without an engine or trans for 4 years.

Wierd.

[BigBlockMopar]

Re: Dodge Resurection

I like the stance of the rear wheels on the car. I bet with an engine under the hood the whole car will have a good Bad-ass stance.

What color was the car?
I think I would black out the hood and paint the rest of the car Gun-Metal-gray metallic. Either with or without the vinyl top.

[BangShift McT]

Re: Dodge Resurection

Was thinking that too, Winchester Gray would look evil on that car. Would go with the 'teen for the driver, you can't deny the gas mileage, and you know you'd be tempted to lay into it whenever you got the chance.

[HillbillySailor]

Re: Dodge Resurection

I'd put the 340 in the car...backed by a 5-speed. That would increase the mileage a little. I'd also leave the hood and wheels. They just look right on that car, fashion police be damned. ;) I like the black hood idea, but I like this color...



It's called Redfire Metallic. Yeah I know it's a Ford color, but I think it's really sharp and it would look really good on the Dart.

[Dirt Rod]

Re: Dodge Resurection

What a cool car, man.

In 1995, friend of mine bought a '68 Dart 4 door for $80. Yellow with black guts, 273 column auto. That car was put through more hell and was one of the best runners......many years of parts running, cruising and running around in that car. Nothing was wrong with it, no rust, perfect seats, everything was there..

He moved away in 1998 and left it with his brother......the car died an untimely and horrible death thereafter. I have the steering wheel hanging on my garage wall as a reminder to never take a good car for granted.

At the time I owned my '68 Charger R/T. I look back now, and we were always so busy working on the Charger, and pampering it, that we had way more fun running around and flogging the Dart..

Ax

[BBR]

Re: Dodge Resurection

For a driver = Do the teen

For a weekend cruiser = fix the 340 or plop the Mag in.

[A/Fuel]

Re: Dodge Resurection

ditch the spinners and the vinyl top, i'm still thinking about the gas cap....
keep the hood, but flat black it and paint the rest red.
add some black steel wheels with red walls, and put the 408 in it